Symbolisms of colors in ancient Egypt

The symbolism and use of color in ancient Egypt provided a template for later connotations concerning nature and design. Color itself bestowed individuality to symbol and image.

Artisans began to observe the natural occurrence of colors in their surroundings and pulverized various oxides and other materials to develop the hues they desired.

Egyptians were clothed in white, contrasting starkly with the colorful garments of foreigners. White is also the color of joy and celebration.

The crown of Upper Egypt was white. Red was the symbol of chaos, called "typhonic" after the Greek god Typhoon, whom Greek identified with Seth.

Black used to represented ebony, emmer wheat, cattle, hair, eyes, Nubians. In tombs black color was used to represent mascara. The color also symbolized the underworld, the dead, Osiris, fertility, the heart, Anubis and the Ibis.

The coloring always related to characteristics of the persons represented. In classical Egyptian art male bodies were painted in strong brown colors, while women received a lighter, yellowish shade of color.

Men received an orange color only when age and frailty were to be represented.
Symbolisms of colors in ancient Egypt

Barter trade in ancient Egypt

In early Egypt, as in other early societies people were every self-sufficient. Each family provided its own food, shelter and clothing. Then, as Egyptian civilization developed, people started to specialize. Money did not exist in ancient Egypt. Instead of making purchases the Egyptians traded their goods and services. This is called bartering.

Most of of the trading between Egyptians simply involved swapping one object for another.

Wages in ancient Egypt were paid in food and clothing. Farm workers received wheat and barley in payment for their work. They could exchange a bag of grain to get pottery from a craftsman or clothing from a weaver.

Coins were not used in ancient Egypt until about 500 BC.  Before that time, there existed a system in which metals such as gold were given values based on their weight.

This unit of weight was called a ‘deben’. Deben was not used to buy things, Instead, it was used to set the value of goods and services for bartering.
Barter trade in ancient Egypt

Coffin in ancient Egypt

In the Old Kingdom (2575-2134 BC), mortuary regalia that appeared designed to protect the remains of the deceased. The coffins were painted on their sides to make them resemble the walls of the royal places and doors, windows and even patterns of hanging reed mats were fashioned as designs for these receptacles.

Cartonnage masks were developed in the First Intermediate Period (2134-2040 BC) but were extended in later dynasties to cover the entire mummified remains. Cartonnage masks were placed over the head and face of the mummy both protect it and act as a substitute of the mummy was destroyed.

Egyptian wooden coffin dated 2500 BC

During the Middle Kingdom the anthropoid coffin was packed inside the rectangular coffin. Later in New Kingdom times (between 16th century BC and 11th century BC), very wealthy people had three coffins which fitted inside each other.

Each of these was mummy-shaped, with a portrait of the person painted on it.

The coffin of ordinary people were painted inside and out with prayers and pictures of the gods of death and rebirth. There were inscriptions placed inside the coffins of Egyptians containing spells and incantations intended to help the deceased on their journeys to the hereafter.

On the coffins of pharaoh the decorations were not painted but finely carved and were covered entirely with gold.
Coffin in ancient Egypt